Carys Conlon | AMF1 Wings Lead Engineer & DEI Co-Chair

After coming out at work, one of the first things I did was to update the pronouns on my email signature. I was not compelled to do this, but it was something I wanted to do because a respectful workplace culture has been fostered here – one that had been quietly building and had evolved further with the team’s 2022 DE&I focus on allyship. 

But human brains make shortcuts when we speak and changing habits instilled over many years can be difficult. My experience at work has been overwhelmingly positive so, on the rare occasion someone makes a mistake, I know it isn’t with malicious intent. 

This is not always the case outside of work. I transitioned later in life and so my gender is not always assumed correctly by those that don’t know me. They see the masc’ that I cannot lose. These strangers don’t correct, they don’t apologise and I’m tired of correcting them, so work in this respect has become a safe place for me. Sometimes I feel burdened by my past, but at work at least people know me, respect my lived experience and treat me as I would hope.

Words: Carys Conlon, Nose and Wings Lead Engineer & DEI Co-Chair at Aston Martin Formula One Team (AMF1) and MBA candidate